Mark Fisher appointed Office for Civil Society director

Fisher, social justice director at the Department for Work and Pensions, replaces Helen Stephenson, who moves to the Department for Education

Mark Fisher

Mark Fisher, social justice director at the Department for Work and Pensions, has been appointed as the new director of the Office for Civil Society.

He replaces Helen Stephenson, who has been appointed director of early years and childcare at the Department for Education after almost three years running the OCS.

Fisher has been in his current job, which focused on long-term unemployment, for the past three years. He takes up the new role, which includes being head of the Government Innovation Group, on Monday.

He has also worked as chief executive of the Sector Skills Development Agency, which is responsible for developing the network of sector skills councils, and has been a director of the Work Programme contractor Working Links.

She said in a statement that she had had a "wonderful time" at the Cabinet Office. "In particular, I have been very grateful for the support and genuine partnerships with such a wide group of colleagues from across the whole sector," she said.